Immediate Persuasion
by voicelord
Summary: Oneshots - sequel to 'Tall, dark and handsome stranger': Sometimes, it is just a matter of having someone who believes in you infinitely. Hitsu x Rukia
1. Worthy Opponent

**Worthy Opponent: Kenpachi**

"Rukia! You _cannot_ do this to me!"

The anguished cries of a desperate woman echoed mercilessly.

"Taichou is gonna **butcher** me when he finds out you've run off with some pretty boy!?!?!"

Muffling the barely contained laughter bubbling at the pit of her stomach, the petite female with raven locks crept down the fire escape.

Opting to skip the last few steps with an agile jump, Rukia landed safely on top of the building – not a single hair out of place.

It had been approximately two minutes and thirty-six seconds since she left the damning message on the egoistic Ice Dragon's answering machine – conveniently connected to his cellphone for emergencies, of course.

It basically consisted of loud booming music, a giggling Rukia as well as an exaggerated sultry voice of the flamboyant Ayesgawa relaying the message that the two of them were going to run off together towards the sunset on a white stallion with roses in their-

…Perhaps she over did it with the secret-lover thing; but it had been totally worth it.

She could picture Toshiro with that familiar scowl on his face, blazing fury transforming his visage to a heightened degree. He would most definitely be wracking his brain at the possible implications; such as the intent as well as the identity of the foreign _male_. All in all, he would be thoroughly **pissed**. He would probably be doing a U-turn right about now in order to rush back to the office top speed in his Ferrari. Not to mention, feverishly trying to trace the message back to its origin. From there, he would begin barking orders at his immediate subordinates and biting people's heads off every chance he got. Let's not forget the fuming, howling, seething, enraged and livid disposition involved in the process.

Feeling slightly guilty at the very thought of Matsumoto frantically running around like a headless chicken, the Kuchiki heiress momentarily considered giving herself in.

But then again, how would she get back at Toshiro?

Casualties may rise along the way but certain situations called for desperate measures.

Sacrifices were needed for the better and bigger things in life.

After all, who knew she would be the type to fall for strangers who she _happened_ to meet in a bar?

Knowing Toshiro, however, Rukia could now safely state that _everything_ was premeditated with that man. He was relentless, unforgiving and calculative. But bless him, the man could _worry_.

Initial disgruntle to such a fact had transformed into a favourite past time activity consisting of her – Kuchiki Rukia – scattering just enough to keep him – Hitsugaya Toshiro – in high alert that eventually led to the said other running circles in his head.

Making a quick turn at the corner, Rukia crept towards the edge of the building marveling at the scenery of symmetrical pillars spanned out before her nii-sama's corporate building. She always did enjoy tall and high places. That feeling of liberation thrilled her. It had resulted in a number of secret trips to the top of the building as a child.

Speaking of which…

"That boyfriend of yours ain't gonna be pleased girlie," said the deep gruff voice from behind.

"Good afternoon to you too, Kenpachi. And to answer your question; I should care because…?"

Grinning at the familiarity of it all, Rukia leisurely remained fixated on the panned out infrastructure.

"Cause he's in charge of the cash, that's why."

"And nii-sama is in charge of him."

"Have it your way."

"I always do."

Letting out a full laughter, the petite female promptly swerved; bouncing towards the brooding other.

Wiggling her fingers at the gigantic other, the violet-eyed female presented her infamous pout coupled with a puppy eye look. Eventually Kenpachi relented, as always, maneuvering her until she was placed on top of his broad shoulder. It was a position Rukia had the luxury of occupying since she had been a little girl.

It was good thing Yachiru shared.

Scratching his eye-patch in uncaring casualness, the muscular other was quite prepared to uphold the welcoming silence – that was until a familiar presence approached them in rapid succession. The blazing fury would have sent energy-waves screaming down to the center of the earth.

His hands began inching towards his weapon of choice as the previously absent glint entered the sole visible eye of the seasoned fighter.

It had been such a long time since he had a challenging fight…

"Okay, I'll bite. What's he done now?"

Securing a calloused hand to support the extra weight settled on top of shoulders, Kenpachi pivoted his head slightly to the right as he began showing unexpected interest.

But it seemed the little butterfly was already a step ahead of him for she draped her arms around his head in feigned dramatics, never once missing a beat.

"Considering his usual – _obsessive_ – habit of keeping tabs on me, stalking me, smothering me, and picking fights with my male friends; he's done absolutely **nothing** out of the ordinary."

"…Hn, figures."

"Why the _hell_ can't he get it through his _thick_ skull that I can take care of myself?"

"You're asking for snow on a summer's day."

"Thanks for the great piece of advice, Kenpachi."

"That's what you get for dating your older brother's employee."

"What's this got to do with nii-sama?"

"You didn't think Byakuya was going around hiring _sane_ people, did you now?"

"True. You **are** a fine example."

The friendly banter would have continued on for quite some time; that was until the sound of deadly blade scraping menacingly against the concrete floor approached the pair.

Teal orbs glinted at the supposedly inappropriate proximity between the gigantic brute and _his_ woman.

"Toshiro, fancy seeing you here."

"…Kenpachi, why is Rukia sitting on top of your shoulder?"

"She's such an affectionate little thing, isn't she? Came running to good old Kenpachi due to neglect on your part, of course. Tsk, tsk; shouldn't get lazy with the boyfriend duties now should we?"

And Toshiro charged; intent on wiping that smirk off the bastard's face and getting the little minx back into his arms. His little butterfly was in _such_ trouble.

Licking his lips in anticipation, Kenpachi readied himself for a worthy battle.

Who said the little Kuchiki was the only schemer around here?


	2. Motherly Advice

**Motherly Advice: Unohana**

Another day and another duty to uphold.

With her usual gentle smile adorning her features, Retsu Unohana - the head of the medical division of the Kuchiki Corporation - made her way towards the finance division.

Nodding in acknowledgement to the various passerby, the very much admired female head continued the inevitable journey.

However, away from prying eyes and curious glances, a distinctive glay of concern entered into light blue orbs.

Certain..._rumors_ had come to her attention spiking _particular_ issues that needed to be rectified _immediately_.

Twin braids swished in tune with the meticulous turn around the corner; revealing the door that would lead her into the lair of the Ice Dragon - a nickname that had risen due to his calculating and unpredictable temper.

And hadn't she been at the receiving end not a week past?

Hitsugaya had flat out **refused** to release the poor Kuchiki girl during the minor check up.

Growling and snarling at an unfortunate low-ranking nurse who had tweezers in her hand, the young prodigy had been most _disagreeable_ in his treatment for the cut on his shoulder.

...At least Kenpachi had remained mostly quiet when the frozen piece of meat had been slapped onto his bruised eye-patchless-eye.

As the hands of a healer moved to gently nudge the doors aside, a distinctive noise alerted the elder's experienced senses.

So it was true.

With a quick sigh, she charged on to do what needed to be done.

It was her duty after all.

"What the _fuc_-"

As if it was an everyday occurrence to find a half-naked female with violet orbs in the middle of a heavy make out session with the owner of the desk they were currently on top of; Unohana relented on in that familiar gentle tone.

"Hitsugaya. I sincerely hope you are using protection." There; quick and painless. "The employee contract within the Kuchiki Corporation consists of the clause regarding personal safety. And as the Head of the medical division, I have taken liberty to provide you with extra provisions."

Placing a number of boxes near the frozen couple, the unfazed woman continued almost clinically.

"Oh my! I almost forgot. I have also brought edible massage cream if both of you are interested."

Complete _silence_. Flabbergasted and horrified expressions.

"I will take that as a yes. And now, I shall take my leave. No need to see me out. Carry on." With a smile that was turning downright _disturbing_, she was gone and out the door.

Firmly locking it on her way out, Unohana mentally ticked away the crucial morning mission.

Just another day and another duty upheld most successfully.


	3. Radical Feminist

**Radical Feminist: Soi-fong**

For the six hundredth time, Rukia skimmed over the top half of page one hundred and thirty five.

And she was not even close to finishing. Far from it.

Letting out a heavy sigh, the raven-haired female reached for another dose of well-deserved caffeine, momentarily abandoning the thick textbook.

She was already on her fifth..._sixth_ cup; strong. Black. Each one containing more dosage to give her that quick buzz, probably more so than it was strictly permitted in the medical arena. It was a complete surprise the coffee pot hadn't melted.

At the rate she was going at, her hands should have started jittering by now.

Cringing slightly at the bitter taste, tired violet-orbs observed the detached hands of the clock. Two-thirty in the morning. Well past midnight.

...Rukia absolutely hated cramming sessions.

It was her final semester and her general elect women's studies paper was _killing_ her.

Make no mistake, she was about as 'feministic' as the next person. Kuchiki Rukia believed in gender equality and did not tolerate useless slogans on women being the fairer and weaker sex.

The last time Ichigo made the error of pursuing an argument with such logic at hand, she had shown him how 'weak' women really could be.

And it had also taken _several_ days for her orange-haired friend to completely recover. A pity his stupidity would never be fully cured.

Nevertheless, this paper appeared to be something utterly different from the above scenario. In one word, it was just plain ridiculous.

How was she to write out three extensive essays within three hours when there seemed to be only one conclusion - that men were all jerks and assholes?

Anything that deviated from this ultimate finding had the Professor frowning in disdain and that was something the Kuchiki female could not afford. The fact remained that if she did not pass the exam with flying colours, her plan of graduating first-class at the end of the year would be history.

And she was not going to give up her average grade without a fight.

Hence, insert the most extreme feminist to have resided in society - the most radical of them all: Soi-fong.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

_"-Therefore, one could even suppose that those pigs (AKA: men) are the cause of every problem known to mankind." The head of the Kuchiki Corporation's Marketing Division relayed in a no-nonsense manner._

_Rotating her leather chair to fully accomodate her visitor, Soi-fong regarded the petite female with a look of - daresay - amounting interest._

_Feeling the urge to bite her lips, Rukia instead opted for scribbling down some irrelevant mumbo-jumbo to make it look like she was paying attention._

_The impassive woman's office was located on the nineteenth floor, the very center of the building whereas nii-sama and Toshiro resided at the very top._

_She was known for her ruthless tactics that absolutely crushed the opponents with meticulous marketing strategies and brilliant advertisement._

_It was slightly unnerving that such a deadly, single-minded focus was being directed towards yours truly. Somewhere along the way, the independent, ruthless older female seemed to have developed the impression that the CEO's younger sibling would be receptive to these ideas and theories on feminism. With the desire to save another pitiful soul from plunging into the patriarchal forces of society, Soi-fong was determined to make her see the light. And she looked like she had all the time in the world. Shit._

_"Even poverty?"_

_"All their fault."_

_"Bad weather?"_

_"Ditto." Now, Rukia really felt the urge to groan out in dispair._

_This was hopeless._

_"...Those annoying vending machines that eat up your candy?"_

_"Absolutely."_

_"So, even global warming?"_

_"Yes, Rukia." There was a bite to her response. A warning._

_"Surely they couldn't have single-handedly brought down the eco-system?"_

_"Oh I assure you, they **have** as they have done since the beginning of time and forever more."_

_"...Right. I'll just tick box number two for the last question then." With a sense of finality, Rukia decided to just shut up and listen._

_There was no use anyway. __She was doomed._

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

"I thought you might be up." A warm velvety tone rumbled from the side.

Well-defined arms encircled her waist as Rukia found herself leaning against a firm chest. The familiar sensation of crisp morning dew enveloping her entirely.

Her initial response was to get violent and angry for invading her lair at this time of the day. "...What are you doing here?"

But seeing as she was already drugged with five..._six_ cups of coffee and it was almost three in the morning, the petite female could not help but lean her head against the junction of his neck.

"I had to take care of a minor incident back at the office. Thought I'd visit, bearing gifts of course." Hence, the reason for the faint smell of doughnuts and sugary substances.

Too tired to respond, Rukia instead closed her eyes and snuggled closer.

Purring approvingly at the display of reception, Hitsugaya nuzzled the side of her jaw briefly, nipping and taunting the patch of skin with light caresses.

"Aren't we very affection today? Is that even allowed when your studying radical feminism?" It was so very unfair how he made her melt every time with that husky tone of his.

Soon, a warm calloused hand replaced soothing kisses, ascending in painstaking slowness from their initial position to gently massage the back of her strained neck. Lightly tracing the full length of her arm, they ghosted across porcelain like skin until Rukia felt something raw and delicious sliding down the back of her spine.

"Probably not. But seeing as how I'm sleep deprived and caffeine high, I'll make an exception."

As soon as she responded with a breathless chuckle, he caught her parted lips with his - languidly tasting the contours of her mouth with his tongue and teeth, matching the equally unhurried movements of his hands.

Completely forgetting about the initial disgruntle regarding the fast-approaching exam, the raven-haired beauty instead arched towards her powerful Ice Dragon as the need to _feel_ and **touch** intensified.

And it was only when her exquisite lover carried her towards the bedroom, that a thoroughly kissed Rukia realised Soi-fong had indeed spoken the truth.

It was all Hitsugaya's fault that she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight (technically, morning) and that she would be running around like crazy in order to complete her cramming session when she was awake and coherent enough.

And yet, she couldn't care less; as long as _he_ could take _her_ breath away like this.

Pulling him down for another taste, Rukia could not help but think that Hitsugaya's supposed contribution to global warming could even be overlooked.


	4. Crimson Trail

**Crimson Trail: Together**

In admirable agility, the sole figure finally emerged.

With cat-like stealth that conveyed the underlying presence of power and strength, the mysterious individual sped off into the night.

Completely soaked to the bone, the black leather coat trailed after him; lagging slightly behind due to excess water.

Tinge of crimson - the only evidence of the completed assignment - diluted against the oncoming rain.

Hitsugaya never bothered to wipe his katana on rainy nights. _There was no use_. There was no point.

Besides, he would never feel guilty over this.

...Not with those **digusting** creatures.

Pitiful excuse of human beings; filled with such greed, such darkness and disloyalty...

Foolishly assuming that money and fame allowed them the right to rip off honest working individuals. Surrounding themselves with all the riches in the world and yet, never once casting a single glance to those just barely managing to purchase the necessities of life. Such obsolete _pigs_. Hitsugaya was all too familiar with the exclusive business sector to identify these categories of filth. After all, _both_ his day and evening occupations revolved around dealing with such beings.

The only difference being that with the veiling silence of the night, the Ice Dragon was permitted to dispose them for good.

And due to an extremely open-minded boss, Hitsugaya was allowed to do so using any method or technique of his liking.

Ignoring the sirens - _finally_ - echoing down the street in rapid succession, the young assassin with teal orbs continued down the opposite path. Away from the scene of the crime.

He was good enough to know that the police, incompetent as they are, would never find evidence of any kind.

The faint scent of blood at the tip of tongue informed him of the exact reasons why.

Well known for his meticulous approach towards work in general, Hitsugaya was equally thorough in his informal 'outings'.

Simply put, they will never be able to locate the mutilated body.

Only the horrified screams echoing along the corridor as well as the unpredictable smears all over the walls would be their limited signs of guidance and fear.

The disarrayed office, the gurgling sound of a soon-to-be-deceased victim purposefully recorded in the answering machine, the endless flow of blood, the look of absolute helplessness as the trash begged him to stop, to-

With an almost animalistic snarl, Hitsugaya instinctively flinched under the assault of the psyche.

Controlling the ferocious urge to...break, to _destroy_ and completely **annihilate** something; rough calloused hands clenched in a familiar manner, as if to release some of the tension in his body.

Almost on auto-pilot, the young male just barely refrained from howling at the sheer pain vibrating through every single one of his nerves.

Forcefully clenching his teeth together as he willed the over-bearing darkness to subside back into the hidden depth of his soul; Hitsugaya only released his guard when the pounding sensation dissolved completely.

Human nature, left to their own devices, seemed capable of..._infinite_ possibilities.

And he was no exception.

Flexing his fingers against the roughened hilt of his katana, he welcomed the coldness of the night and the bluntness of the rain slowly registering back into his system.

Sharply absorbing his surroundings, Hitsugaya allowed it to wash all over him: the solidity of the structures supporting his strong legs - his body never once halting during the 'unpleasant' conflict simply through sheer determination and endless hours of training. Already he had covered substantial ground as familiar infrastructures spanned out from beneath him.

Nevertheless, displeasure radiated from the sole figure.

This repetitive cycle was unacceptable. It was becoming increasingly difficult to trust in himself.

Not when these periods of 'self-reflection' attacked him after every mission.

It meant he - _the_ Hitsugaya Toshiro - was loosing faith in his strength to avoid the inevitable fall into the pit of deception, evil and darkness like the rest of humanity.

Ignoring the second rush of desire to really put a dent in something, the furious male leaped from the elaborate apartment building.

And it was only when the familiar sight of heavy materials decorated with golden embroidery came into view did he allow himself to breathe easy.

The dimly lit bedroom was a complete contrast from the unforgiving elements of nature.

Sliding the window shut, Hitsugaya quickened towards the figure draped across the bed - desperate to taste supple lips and forever drown in the delightful scent of jasmine - not at all concerned that he was tramping water all over the expensive carpet. But even before the powerful male neared the vicinity of his lover, expectant violet orbs immediately sharpened to wakefulness.

All too accustomed with his presence, Rukia instinctively reached for him despite the slight disorientation evident in her features.

With such a gratifying invitation being presented before him in all its loveliness, Hitsugaya very well threw away the katana without another thought; eagerly gathering the stunning woman into his arms.

Soft hands smoothed damp white locks as she latched onto him instantly.

Her lithe petite figure trembling against the hard contours of his soaked body; the cold seeping in through the thin fabric of her sleepwear.

But when she all in all, snug deeper into his embrace, the edge in his shoulders folded, finally able to relax in her presence.

"...It's raining." Rukia whispered dreamily. "It's so pretty when it rains."

Letting out a breath he had unconsciously been holding onto, Hitsugaya tightened his hold on the precious bundle.

It didn't matter that he wasn't immune to the infinite darknesses of the world.

As long as his little butterfly continued to trust him so, he would be content.

"Ah."


End file.
